Superintendent: district exploring options after directive affects New Hope program

The Lovington Municipal Schools superintendent told candidates and board members that a directive from an external education authority forced a decision affecting the district’s New Hope alternative program but that the district is working to find options to preserve services.

“As I stated, this is not a legislative decision. It was forced by the ED,” the superintendent said, adding district staff had worked for two to three years to keep the program open and were “reading all the things and trying to find a loophole.” The superintendent said graduates of New Hope have gone on to successful careers and that the district believes New Hope serves needs that a large high school cannot.

Board members and candidates questioned how New Hope students would be served if the program were closed. Candidate Speedy Faith, who previously worked with alternative students in other districts, said the students ‘‘need an education and that's our job to provide for it.’’ The superintendent said the district has ideas it cannot yet release publicly and stressed the team’s ongoing efforts to preserve options for those students.

The board did not make a decision on New Hope during the interview session; the superintendent’s remarks were delivered in response to candidate questions during the public interview process. The board will reconvene the following morning to continue its business, including candidate selection.